The Original Sin trilogy continues – step into the sadistic world of America’s most depraved cult to reveal their sinister secrets, wicked games, ruthless desires, and the darkest deception of all…
It started as a twisted game of revenge. Jolie was nothing but my captive toy, bound for punishment and death. Now I know how wrong I was. She’s everything I ever wanted. Everything I ever needed. I’ll do whatever I have to do to make her mine again. The stakes are even higher this time, because the cult is back and more powerful than ever. Their reach is vast, their wealth is endless, and they’ll stop at nothing to take Jolie and punish her for her betrayal all those years ago. I’ll fight for her. I’ll save her from the darkness. I’ll kill all the men who try to keep her from me. She’s not their toy to play with. She’s mine.
Note: This novel contains disturbing content that may be offensive to some readers.
Toy is the third and final book in the Original Sin trilogy.
Stella Hart is the dark romance pen name of Alessandra Hart. She loves animals, red wine, and rainy days where she can curl up inside and plot new books instead of having to go out.
Toy was the perfect finish to Jolie and Mason’s story. It’s action packed, suspenseful, and there’s even a bit of morbid humor. I think a good way to read this series is going in blind, so I don’t want to say too much. Just know that it’s well written, and wraps up so many of the questions that were left in this story.
The conclusion of the 'Original Sin' series! 😍 Toy was 'only' a 4 star read for me because of all the unrealistic coincidences and the ridiculous 'James Bond on steroids' actions!!! (See spoiler for details!) ⚠️➡️➡️ ⬅️⬅️⚠️ The 'unbelievability' and 'ridiculousness' (are those even English words?) of the events made me deduct a star! Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this series, so overall this series is still a 5 star read for me!
Books must be read in order!
🖤★✩★🖤★✩★🖤★✩★🖤★✩★🖤
A while back I started another series by Stella Hart (Dark Dynasty Series) but halfway through book #1 (Heartless Prince) I quit because the book didn't work for me! 😕 After reading this amazing series, I'm really beginning to doubt my sanity 🤪.... maybe a re-read is in order??
And, by the way... what's with the covers??? 😳 A lot of Stella Hart's books have very similar covers!!? 🤨 Different series but the same guy on the cover?? Whatever the reason, it's not very creative! ➡️ ⬅️["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>
First thing: if the author doesn't already state this explicitly, there should be a major CW/trigger warning on this book for sexual assault. I'm pretty liberal about this given the context--Yes, it's a DARK romance, but in this case it involves non-eroticized sexual content with the non-hero, so be aware.
Okay, that out of the way: Yeah, this is dark, and one heck of a trip. Jolie and Mason finally get their HEA, finally, but they have to go through the equivalent of a screamer roller coaster through the carnival house of horror-mirrors to get it. Does that sound like a good time to you? If it is, you can be sure you'll find it here, if that's your thing.
It's certainly well-written, and quite a mindbender. Go on, read it, and enjoy the wild ride.
End of the story full of action, twists and turns Caution spoiler part 2 I found this last part excellent, which is always well written, with excellent characters and is full of action, twists. On the other hand, some parts are always difficult to read. Mason was shot, but he does not die. Now that Jolie is certain that the men of her father's sect are still active, Mason and her, decide to find out who denounced them before, and to find the sect. But its ramifications are extensive, and it's hard to trust anyone knowing they're still chasing Jolie. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book
This is the 3rd book in the dark series and I do recommend reading them in order. Jolie and Mason’s story continues and it is not an easy one. Now that Mason knows how he really feels can he save her in time? This is a fast-paced read with lots of twists and turns, plenty of drama, suspense and emotion. This entire read has so much depth to it I was hooked from beginning to end. I loved it!
Rating: ????? 3.5? 2??? 4??? No idea. Spice: 3.5 Tropes: cult / captive x captor / DARK romance / broken girl & broken boy / strangers turned friends to lovers turned enemies to lovers / revenge / misunderstanding / virgin fmc / BDSM / romantic suspense / age gap / insta-connection / Stockholm syndrome
This is such a difficult book for me to rate, and therefore, I haven't rated it. On one hand, I was extremely entertained and captivated by the story. But was it actually good? It's hard to tell and it ultimately depends on what you're after.
As a (dark) romance? Absolutely not. It gets zero stars as a romance or a love story. But as a suspenseful story about a broken girl who escapes a cult, and forms a forbidden relationship with a man who saves her but later takes her hostage and exacts revenge on her? It was solid! HOWEVER, it remains very difficult to recommend this for a multitude of reasons (discussed below). At the forefront though, is the fact that it's really f***ing disturbing and contains some really f***ed up content.
In short, the story follows Jolie and Mason, who first meet when Jolie is a little girl and Mason is in his teens. It's at this point in time, she becomes infatuated with him. Fast forward to 2018 when the prologue stars (the present), and Mason has taken Jolie captive wanting to seek revenge on her. We then learn during the prologue that Jolie once escaped a very sadistic cult and was due to marry Mason at some point in time. Book 1 then goes back to eight years prior, which is when Jolie last saw Mason, while she was part of a cult called the Path of the Convent located in a compound called New Eden (a cult started by her father, Prophet Jacob), and how she came to see Mason again.
The concept itself was very interesting! It's hard to tell if it's good or bad, because the cult content is truly quite nauseating and extremely disturbing, but also unputdownable initially. The detail with which she inserted information about the cult and fake religion engineered by Jolie's dad and the other elders to manufacture a community of subservient women was utterly dark, but also completely realistic in today's world. While it was wholly horrifying, it was also extremely captivating. The writing was also good and easy to read. The first book was all about world-building, but book 2 was where it took a turn for me. It's at this point where she lost me from a relationship perspective and it solidified my initial views that there is no romance here, dark or otherwise. HOWEVER, I was willing to overlook it to see what their relationship looked like in the present.
Book 2 started off so strong and I really loved the direction she took it in. Unfortunately, then she lost me. It was repetitive and the really stretched out misunderstanding frustrated me (). I found myself skimming paragraphs. Also, you can't come back from the stuff he does to her in this book.
It also pissed me off how by the time we reached book 3, all was forgiven and forgotten like dude didn't just torture you for weeks on end? Girl, come the f*** on.
As for the characters, I didn't form a connection with them. Jolie was annoying but it also made complete sense to her character, being someone brainwashed since age 7. Mason had a lot of great qualities that simply weren't developed enough. They were both too dysfunctional, and not in a "I can fix" the other way, but more in a "we need a restraining order and therapy stat and possibly a lock up in an asylum" way. Overall, I didn't connect with them and I didn't feel like they connected with each other. At times, it really felt like trauma porn to me, which I didn't like.
In terms of book 3, while I'm happy that I got closure, it was simply so absurd and ridiculous. Some examples included below.
Can you feel me rolling my eyes? Because they're at the back of my head as I type. All the above being said, kudos to Stella Hart who did give us answers to everything despite how fucking ridiculous it was. As a side note, I went back and read the prequel (Torn) and would recommend reading it first if you intend on picking up this series. I don't think it adds to the romance (which remained non-existent), but it adds a little to the background of the story and enhances the context.
Overall, I don't really know what else to add or how to recommend this one. As noted, it was very entertaining albeit ridiculous, but also a big commitment for little reward from a romance perspective. I guess do with that what you will. BUT, please be mindful of the NUMEROUS triggers in this trilogy (some are obvious, others less so. ).
The third and final book in this dark romance trilogy changes things up, with Jolie and Mason on the same side (at last) and growing closer together. She’s forgiven Mason, but that doesn't mean that everything's OK. Her father and an unknown number of cult members are alive and targeting Jolie. Their enemies are closing in.
All this gives Mason a definite redemption arc—as far as his relationship with Jolie is concerned. When her life is at stake, he’s still the ruthless, vicious Mason from the previous two books. At least this time, his brutality is for a good cause.
A few things bothered me enough to take me out of the story. 1) The cult's plans were just too complicated with too many variables to produce their desired results. 2) Mason is rich enough to hire experts at finding people and extracting captives. At the very least, he could have hired better security to protect Jolie. 3) They're very noisy in their investigation. Asking questions and flashing photos would eventually get back to the wrong people. None of that was enough to keep me from enjoying the book, though.
What an absolute fantastic ending to this dark twisted trilogy.
Quick note: This is the third book in the Original Sin series and you must read the following books prior to reading this one. Torn (The Prequel for this series), Taken (Book One) and Torment (Book Two); once you've read these then you will be able to fully comprehend and enjoy this book.
Jolie and Mason have been through a lot and it doesn't seem like they are going to be getting a reprieve any time soon if the members of Path of the Covenant have anything to say about it. Once again Jolie has gone missing and it's up to Mason and Beck to find her before something terrible happens. Grab this exciting conclusion to this dark, twisted, riveting story today to find out what happens. This is an excellent series and I highly recommend it!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
So Darn INTENSE! This series started off strong and dominating always shocking me from one explosive twist to the next and the Toy continues to bring an impacting punch with danger, fear and more violence making it incredibly hard to put down. A whirlwind of emotions with tantalizing dark chemistry and some forced brutal interactions that was hard to read but made this story all the better for it. A perfect HEA ending to this horror riddled read that finally lifted the dark cloud that hovered throughout the storyline and finally put a smile on my face. An exciting must read that is a non-stop bundle of page turning suspense.
Jolie and Mason have literally been through hell together but their story isn't finished until you read the "Toy." Stella Hart has taken us through every step of this journey and, if you've been following along - waiting on this one, you won't be disappointed. This one turns into a mystery of sorts and previously unknown stories and explanations come from unlikely and astonishing sources. My heart hasn't slowed down yet but it will, eventually, when it catches up with my brain that this story has found it's ending. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
All I can say is Freak'n WoW. This series is way far on the dark side of things and has a number of triggers. It took me a while to complete the story as I found that I had to take breaks and read something else to "cleanse the palate" before picking this series back up again.
This is positively well written and the story-line and characters are very intricately woven together into a very tragic, dark, violent, roller-coaster ride of a story. In the end there is some redemption, forgiveness and maybe even love.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
What an amazing end to this series. Jolie and Mason have been through the ringer. Their story is intense, dark and twisted. We get the answers we are looking for and can these two survive the cult as they come back for one of their own? No spoilers from me. Loved this book, I recommend this book and series to everyone. This series was a little out of my realm, but I am so glad I took a chance on it and pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoy these two. I reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
A great ending to the Original Sin series— this book continued on with the dark and twisted tale of Jolie and Mason as they again took on the evil of the remaining men of the New Eden cult. Enlisting the help of Detective Beck and several seemingly unlikely allies, the couple is faced with their ultimate test of strength and perseverance as individuals and as a couple. This final chapter of Ms. Hart’s Original Sin series is packed with drama, suspense and a love tested over and over by years of heartbreak and lurking evil.
Jolie and Mason's dark and twited story reaches its epic conclusion in this the third book of this series. You must read books one and two first to get the complete story and have full understanding of the characters and events of the story. Wow, what a gripping, raw, intense and suspenseful journey this has been. Please be aware that there is a lot of possible trigger content included. So if that is a concern for you, I suggest you forgo these books. The tension, drama, brutality and nerve racking emotions will keep you stressed until the very end. This is my independent, impartial review.
This is a perfect conclusion to Jolie's and Mason’s story. It was less dark than the other two parts but extremely suspenseful and action packed. Truly perfect writing and thought through plot. One hell of page turner. I don't want to spoil or give anything away but if you read previous parts this is a no brainer that you would want to know how the story goes. And if you didn't and you love dark romance don't think twice and just dive deep into this cruel, dark, depraved world and find out if you would be immersed with this story as much as I was.
This is the third part to this story, and it was absolutely brilliant! The author has done it again and released an amazingly dark mesmerizing and deliciously addictive plot. The writing is perfect and drew me in from the first paragraph. The characters are not perfect, even the ones I was rooting for had their flaws and darkness. You have to read this from the beginning of the series as you do not want to miss a single word of this wonderfully written story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Stella Hart has given a prefect ending for the love story of Mason and Jolie in the last book of Original Sin Trilogy. I was spellbound when I read the book, the way Mason loves Jolie and how he finds and kills everyone who had taken her, has proved his love for her. Also whatever struggles she comes across Jolie, the way she believed he will come to save her, proves her trust on him. Wonderful story amazing finish. I loved it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The revenge instalment This fed my need for revenge on the cult. And I really needed it!! Loved reading Mason and Jolie being a team, helping each other heal and Mason gets the opportunity to redeem himself which was key. Excellent cult take-down and most definitely a satisfying end.
Just when I thought it couldn't get any more intense...Holy Spitballs! Again DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE TRIGGERS!! And this contains a ton of them!! This was a perfect ending to the story. The snitch shocked me and it didn't shock me. The final showdown was perfect...and Beck's involvement was great! This was definitely a very hard won HEA, but oh so worth it!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I could not put this book down, it kept me on the edge of my seat. Although it's not for everyone, some of the scenes were violent and difficult to read, if you've got this far in the series you should be aware of that already. It had a gripping storyline which I did not predict. Mason and Jolie have many more challenges to face. I had to suspend disbelief a little at the end, but for me that is what reading is about in the first place, to escape into a different world.
Mason Ashwood is in love with Jolie Chastain and the feeling's mutual but life isn't all rainbows and unicorns. As long as the rest of the cult is still out there, they will keep sending guys to kidnap Jolie. And the cult has the money and connections to take Jolie away from Mason. Will Mason and Jolie get their HEA?
Toy is the action-packed, suspenseful and brutal ending to the Original Sin series that you won't be able to put down
Nobody writes dark romance quite like this author. The conclusion to this trilogy proves just that.
Mason and Jolie set out to put an end to the cult’s hold on them once and for all. Persuading a local cop to help them makes all the difference as they realise the cult’s influence is still a force to be reckoned with.
As usual, the twists, the turns, the sheer inventiveness of this story had me in its thrall; it’s a real page turner. It’s a difficult subject, dealing with a cult and all the abuse of power and people that goes along with it. The author does a great job of articulating these struggles and shaping them into a story you want to read.
As the final part to this twisted dark story continues, Mason and Jolie are thrown into my turmoil as the cult revival sets the couple on a dark and dangerous road to their worst fears. Mason will do what he has to, to save and protect the woman he loves. While Jolie survives on faith alone that her man will somehow find her again. A brilliant ending to this epic tale.
wow .. this last part was really a blast .. I just have no words for it .. so intense and dark .. all in all a very good series .. although it is not for everyone, you really have to love the dark. from me 5 stars .. a very good ending.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Jolene and Mason's story continues on it's dark path. The twists and turns are mind boggling and there are lots of triggers so be warned. This is a gripping, dark read that will pull you into their story deeper than ever and take you on a intruiging ride. What would you do for love?
Phew. Is the cult still thriving? Are Mason and Jolie's lives going to be threatened once again? If you want an amazing, non-stop action, suspense romance, Original Sin will take you on an intense journey. Love is so strong!!! Jolie is so darn brave! Mason, an amazing man! I'm so darn thankful for Beck! I absolutely loved this book! It was very hard to put down!
Great trilogy..so messed up with some vigilante justice
This series was great from book one. Lots of darkness and horrible things happening yet there’s some good stuff mixed in there too. The cult definitely finally gets what has been coming to them for their abusive treatment of women and children.